Christy Chase, OLLS, presented Bill 4 and reviewed amendments number 1 and 2 (Attachments BB and CC). Under current law, the Colorado Health Service Corps Program (CHSC) offers loan repayment for certain eligible health care providers who serve in federally-designated health professional shortage areas. The thirteen-member CHSC Advisory Council reviews applications and makes recommendations to the Primary Care Office in the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), which administers the program. The bill adds behavioral health care providers and candidates for licensure to the list of health care providers eligible for loan repayment. Candidates for licensure must serve at least two years after obtaining a license, plus the time spent obtaining supervised experience hours. In addition, the Primary Care Office must create and administer state-designated health professional shortage areas. The bill removes the requirement that the CHSC loan repayment recipients must serve in a health professional shortage area as designated by the federal government.

Scholarship program. Beginning in FY 2018-19, the bill creates a scholarship program to cover the costs of obtaining certification as an addiction counselor for individuals who agree to serve in a state or federally designated health professional shortage area for at least six consecutive months. Scholarships may cover up to the full costs of educational materials and direct expenses and must be paid to the academic institution or state-approved trainer.

Advisory council. The advisory council must review applications and make recommendations to the Primary Care Office. The bill adds two members to the council: a representative of a substance use disorder service provider and a licensed or certified addiction counselor. When considering applications from behavioral health care providers for loan repayment through the CHSC and the newly-created scholarship program, the advisory council must give priority to applicants who are practicing with a non-profit or public employer.

The bill clarifies what must be included in the existing biennial program report, specifies that CDPHE must include the report as part of its SMART Act hearing. Beginning in FY 2018-19, the General Assembly must annually appropriate $2.5 million from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund for loan repayment for behavioral health care providers and candidates for licensure, and for scholarships to addiction counselors.

Representative Pettersen assigned the following co-prime sponsors to the bill: Representatives Singer and Navarro, and Senators Tate and Jahn. She announced that the bill will be introduced in the Senate first, and all other committee members will be listed as co-sponsors. There was no objection to including a safety clause on the bill. There was no objection to giving the Office of Legislative Legal Services permission to make technical changes to the bill, if necessary.